Mount Kinabalu Practice Climb
Posted by Nell Nazarea On January 1, 2011
Skyrunning is a sport wherein you run at a minimum altitude of 2000 meters above sea level (MASL), usually on mountain trails. Air starts to get thin at this altitude, meaning a decrease in performance and possibly altitude sickness for us lowland dwellers. In the Philippines, skyrunning technically can only be done high up on the mountains because even our “City in the Sky†sits just around 1500m high.
The Kinabalu Climbathon started as training and qualification for Sabah rangers. Eventually it was opened to everybody as an international skyrace. Mount Kinabalu is the only Asian site included in the Sky Runners World Series Circuit and may have been proclaimed “The World’s Toughest Mountain Race†due to the sheer grade of the route combined with the steep cut-off time.
Mount Kinabalu Towering over the Heritage Park
Early within the year, the adventurous advocates of the Apo climb brought to the table this “World’s Toughest Mountain Raceâ€. After a few days of reckless consideration, majority of us registered for the race and bought plane tickets that would have us on Kota Kinabalu on the afternoon of October 22 – a day before the race.
That was so wrong!
Below are some figures to chew on, which we did not consider before registering and buying plane tickets.
Altitude Comparison (c/o Carlos):
- Baguio City: 1524 MASL
- Climbathon, Starting Area: 1866 MASL
- Mount Pulag, Peak: 2922 MASL
- Mount Apo, Peak: 3148 MASL
- Mount Kinabalu, Peak: 4095 MASL
Temperature (c/o Carlos):
- At the base: 20-13 °C
- At the summit: 10-2 °C
Race Dates:
- Friday, October 22: Race registration and briefing for Women’s Open & Men’s Veteran (40 years and above)
- Saturday, October 23: Women’s Open & Men’s Veteran and briefing for Men’s Open
- Sunday, October 24: Men’s Open and awarding ceremonies
Cut-off time:
- Women Open and Men’s Veteran: 3:30 to summit and 3:00 to finish
- Men’s Open: 2:30 to summit and 2:00 to finish
Route map from the Climbathon website.
We were spooked! We are neither superiorly gifted physically, nor are we seasoned veterans with years of training in similar activity, and within that group I was the one with the slowest road race times. Thankfully, a race finisher assured us that it is still humanly possible to participate and not die. But he warned us to train hard if we wanted to reach the peak and finish within the cut-off time.
Registration
Pre-registration was easy and simple via the online form system. Conducive to impulse decisions such as ours, but without back-out problems. Fill-out, submit, you’re done! As of posting this article, the registration page is still up if you want to take a look. Participation is finalized upon on-site registration and payment on the days before the race. For the men and women open categories, the fee is 35 USD for international participants while it is 60 MYR for Malaysians. The veteran (40 years and above) category runners only have to pay 30 MYR. Those who did not register online will be waitlisted during the on-site with no guarantee of a slot, so pre-register online and save yourself some hassle.
Confirming our online registration.
Registered participants are given a 1-month training pass for free entry into the heritage park and also as clearance for climbing the mountain. Practice climbers should still pay 7 MYR per climb though, for insurance. This minimal fee is a hundreds of MYR away from the cost of a regular climb as for safety reasons climbers are not allowed to go up without official guides. On top of that, unless climbers are fit enough for a day climb (crazy fit) they will have to book for a night’s stay at Laban Rata, a lodge way up the mountain. Staying there is expensive (300+++ MYR/head) but it pays for hot showers, cozy heated rooms, hot meals, and other peace-of-mind matters we tend to take for granted in our daily lives. Also it’s required if you want to see daybreak at the summit (though there are cheaper lodges available for 300+ MYR/head).
The training pass. (Photo by Jules P)
It is important to note that Climbathon practice climbers hold great responsibility for their own safety. They are expected to have an understanding of the difficulty of the climb and should be able to turn back when they should turn back. This basic rule is not written but it should apply for personal safety: be back at the Timpohon gate by 5 PM at the latest. Although the very kind and accommodating park authorities will not abandon people to the mountain, it is no excuse for us to be reckless or pasaway.
The Practice Climb
“Athletes do not train for a marathon by running a marathon distance, do they?†Wisdom from Mon M, an Herbalife athlete who finished the race last year and is in good shape to finish it this year (and he did, with better time). But for me, I was dead certain that I will not make it to the peak on the race itself, so of course I will climb till the peak now while I could! Haha. And so this practice climb was the highlight of my trip, instead of the race itself.
The highest peak is the turnaround point of the race and is ironically named “Low’s peakâ€. It was named after Hugh Low, a British colonial who made the first recorded climbs from 1851. He tried thrice without reaching the peak that now bears his name (Wikipedia). Today, reaching Low’s peak is simple – there is no need for special mountaineering skills or gear. The area is peaceful – there are no insurgent rebels using the mountain as a training ground. The rainforest is rich and abundant yet aside from squirrels there are no dangerous animals to watch out for. Trail running experience is helpful for foot efficiency and avoiding injury especially during fast descents, and basic rope skills are useful at the final 2.5Km. There are roofed stops with toilets along the route, plus there’s a well-equipped lodge with a restaurant and store at Laban Rata (around Km 6). Mobile phone signal is strong all around the mountain and in case of emergencies help should not be too far away.
In short it’s just you versus the monster of a mountain that is Kinabalu.
The cement roads end at Timpohon gate. The trail is mostly rocky and stair-like all the way, and there are distance markers every 500 meters. Immediately outside the gate you are greeted with steps going down. Savor the downhill feeling while you can, for it is up, up and up from there. The climb never seems to end, as every turn you make reveals more steps up. As you gain altitude, the air thins out and gets colder, the rich rainforest give way to shrubs and thinner trees, and the thick forest canopy opens up to expose pristine skies. Higher up, barely any plants survive in the thin air and bare granite. The last 2.5Km is of sloping, naked granite with the trail to Low’s peak marked by a white rope.
A short, soft-trail descent outside Timpohon gate.
Bone-bustingly hard concrete steps.
Wooden steps are built over tricky trails.
Boulders!
Nice views mid-climb, which cannot be savored while racing.
Chiseled rock steps.
Laban Rata . A well-equipped hotel and restaurant above the clouds.
At the start of the rope section. The camera is level here.
“Tito Willy†conquered his fear of heights smiling all the way.
From here, the peak was still 2 hours away.
Beautiful slope.
Almost there! A great view toward the South Peak.
Summit! 😀
Summit! The group’s time to summit was longer than the cut-off for the race. Specifically, the cut-off for the women’s open/men’s veteran category. More accurately, the ascent and descent cut-off times combined. Still, the view on top was spectacular and it just wipes away the exhaustion. No photos could do justice to these works of God.
We took our time to dance at the tiny summit, but there was not enough for a second dance. We have far exceeded our deadline and should rush downwards to safely beat the dark. Successful on that, but try as I might, it’s not good enough for the men’s veteran descent cut-off time of 3 hours.
Going down from the summit. (Photo by Nina D)
The forest grows eerie as the fog descends on the mountain.
The strenuous climb and repeated pounding took its toll on my body, and I did not get to replenish my body with enough carbohydrates and protein till hours after. My lower extremities were in great pain for 3 whole days, and simply walking was a great chore with muscles so sore. When I tried to do recovery runs my calves were like blocks of wood, no power at all. Although with great thanks there was neither injury nor harm upon any of us. That makes for a successful climb to me.
The Race
After going through the practice climb, I think it’s not a radical thing to assume a high risk of heart attack during the race. To have a decent run, your heart should be able to pump near maximum rate for whole hours. Your whole body should be able to endure such a demanding activity in chilly air and less oxygen. You have to know yourself and your limits, being able to push them without exceeding them. The former generally leads to improvement, and the latter to injury or even death.
I have conceded at the start that I cannot possibly make the cut-off, but I still gave my best to see how far up I can go. The 2:30 ascent cut-off was slightly less than enough for me to reach Laban Rata (Km 6) and the 2:00 descent cut-off just a bit more than enough for me to take a breather and reach the finish line. While I was still resting there, the winner has already crossed the finish line. Such is the caliber of international skyrunning champions. Like Olympic athletes you will have to give your life to training and running if you want to be just like them.
As for me, no thank you. Recreation is my goal there, and finishing is a want. Perhaps I can within the decade? We are yet to see.
Immediately after the race I rehydrated and ate a rich meal immediately. My legs felt great after the race, and after returning to the Philippines, I noticed that my cardio has improved immensely. I find that a very nice and enduring benefit.
The Philippine Skyrunning Association
If you’re from the Philippines and you want to join the 2011 Kinabalu Climbathon, or if you have passion for Skyrunning, mountaineering, trail running, triathlons and similar sports, you cannot miss this group. The Philippine Skyrunning Association (PSA) is “a non-stock, non-profit organization promoting the sport of Skyrunning (high altitude running) in the Philippines. PSA is recognized by the ISF and is acknowledged as the official ISF member-organization in the Philippines.â€
PSA and friends.
The core group is composed of dynamic individuals who share a passion for sports and the outdoors. I have been with them through a few trails where I saw their prowess, and they do not abandon nor look down upon stragglers such as I was. Recently their lady president conquered Mt. Kilimanjaro and she shows no sign of stopping there. They do look like your everyday people but when they get together for a common goal they blend magnificently. You have to see them in action to understand just what I mean! Sign up on the Yahoo! Group now and add them on Facebook to be on the loop for their activities.
Come join the PSA for the 25th Kinabalu Climbathon on October 2011!
Kinabalu Climbathon, “the world’s toughest mountain raceâ€â€¦
Are you tough enough?
See you on the trails!
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Mt. Kinabalu, “A beautiful monster!†–Kian V.
6° 5′ 0″ N, 116° 33′ 0″ E
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Nell is a friend I met during our Davao trip before. When he travels he likes activities off the beaten path and away from cities; adventuring through nature by running and hiking. He may not write much, but he hopes you’ll love his fitness articles too, only here in HeaRty’s Haven!
Lechon Pizza by Pizza Hut
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 28, 2010
After trying so hard not to order Pizza Hut’s new offering, I finally indulged last Christmas eve. My mom has been craving for Lechon for the longest time. Since it’s noche buena time and we didn’t prepare anything. We decided to order delivery for our mini celebration.
I remembered that mom loves pizza too so I figured that we should just try out Pizza Hut’s holiday offering, Lechon Pizza. Perfect combination, isn’t it?
I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Pizza Hut’s Lechon Pizza. Even if the thought of it conjures up images of a defibrillator and a massive heart attack, sometimes you just have to indulge. Sinfully good food sometimes has its way of finding itself sitting right in front of you. With all the calories and cholesterol this pizza must have, I know that this had to be a once in a blue moon treat. And what better time to have such a rich and cholesterol heavy pizza than on Christmas Eve for our Noche Buena.
So, I called Pizza Hut Delivery a few hours before Christmas eve. I got a busy tone, so I tried again and still it was busy. I must have tried quite a few times, but I still wasn’t able to get through. I was beginning to feel that it would be almost near impossible to reach them in time for our Noche Buena. Well, when everything fails, try going online. And what do you know, Pizza Hut allows us to order online too!! Woohoo!! Oh the wonders of technology and how it can oftentimes be a saving grace when it comes to a lot of things, even ordering food. I love it!
Pizza Hut’s Holiday offering comes in 2 sizes:
- Medium Size (10″) – Php 329
- Large Size (14″) – Php 499
It was a no-brainer that we ordered the medium size hahaha! Kidding aside, I was delighted to find out that they have “Holiday Feast” offerings. One option has spaghetti included while the other one has an ultimate cheese pizza. We ordered Feast 2 which has the extra pizza.
I was pretty excited to find out what Lechon Pizza looked like. Apparently, the lechon skin is separate from the pizza itself. They provided instructions on what to do with it: crack it into bite-sized pieces, put on top of pizza and enjoy it.
The lechon skin was unbelievably thin. I guess all the fats were dissolved when it was fried. Doesn’t feel too greasy which is cool!
The Pizza itself can be eaten as it is, without the skin, but I think what we all love most about Lechon is really that crispy skin. So, of course, we decided to put it on our pizza. Aside from the crispy skin topping, the pizza itself is already loaded with tons of cheese and a whole lot of roasted pig (the lechon). I still can’t believe the combination, lechon and pizza all in one. Whoever came up with this idea is just a genius in my opinion. Definitely not a friend for those on a diet, but this is a welcome treat for any Filipino celebration.
The lechon pizza was so delicious, but it was definitely a heavy pizza. I was only able to eat 1 slice of it before becoming immediately full. I’m not sure if I was already full, or if the pizza itself is just that heavy in calories that it really fills you up that much. In any case, I think this is a great price for how much you get. 1 to 2 slices, and you’re full right away!
I asked my mom for feedback as well. She told me it was good especially because it’s new and unique! I felt it was a good variant. Hopefully, Pizza Hut will consider having their lechon pizza as a permanent pizza variant. Well, let’s see.
If you haven’t tried Pizza Hut’s Lechon Pizza then I suggest you do. You have until January 15, 2011 to order it. We finally tried it and we loved it. It’s definitely not your everyday ordinary pizza, but it’s something that’s definitely a welcome treat especially for us who love lechon! 🙂
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Lechon Pizza
available at all Pizza Hut Branches
November 16, 2010 to January 15, 2011
(02) 911-11-11
Ayala Triangle Gardens
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 24, 2010
I always pass by Ayala Triangle Gardens because I walk from my office to the gym every weekday. It’s such a nice sight to see considering how busy the Makati Central Business District is. Who ever have imagined having a garden right in the middle of Makati? Sooo cool! Reminds me of the one in Ortigas (I actually mentioned in my review of Ortigas Park that I wished we would have one in Makati!). Someone must have listened to my wish 😉
The beautiful Ayala Triangle Gardens is already on its 2nd year but it was only last weekend that I strolled around the area and stayed for almost 5 hours. Having all the trees, the beautiful grass, and the garden itself is important in my opinion. I think in the hustle and bustle of corporate life, and being surrounded by building after building after building, you just want a change of scenery. And that’s what I love about this place. Not only does it provide a change of scenery, but there is finally a place we can turn to get some fresh air, relax, unwind, and just slow down even for just a few minutes.
Apparently during mornings and early evenings, you can see a lot of running enthusiasts jogging around the area. There are literally so many activities you can do at Ayala Triangle Gardens. I also remember that I was supposed to attend a picnic tweetup last year at Ayala Triangle Gardens. I wasn’t able to go that time. But last week, I didn’t want to miss the chance again to visit the Makati Garden brought to us by Ayala Land.
For their 2nd anniversary celebration they decided to unveil the Restaurants at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. It features 12 great food establishments that offer unique dishes. See the line up list below, I’m sure you would love to try all of them! I’m honestly glad that I was able to at least try out 3 so far and would try the others when I go back to Ayala Triangle Gardens. The three places that I was able to try out was Bon Chon Chicken, Amici/Cara Mia, and Golden Spoon. Here is the full list of available restaurants:
- First Concept Restaurants: Bfast by Chef Laudico, C.B.D. (Cheesesteaks, Burgers & Drinks)
- First in the Philippines: Wee Nam Kee, Bon Chon Chicken
- First in Makati: Banapple, Momo Cafe, Kanin Club, Omakase, Pho 24
- Old favorites: Amici/Cara Mia, Golden Spoon, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
During Christmas is definitely a great time to visit Ayala Triangle Gardens. They have awesome lights hanging around the trees and the grass. The sound of kids in the background, the wonderful light decorations, the parols, so many things make this place really special. And the best time of day, is really at night because you can really feel the difference in atmosphere, and not to mention the wonderful lights that really seem to make this place magical.
There were some tree branches that looked really unique. I couldn’t help but ask my mom to take a picture of me with it. Look how colorful it is! I was actually kind of wondering whether or not they were real, but in any case please do check it out when you drop by Ayala Triangle Gardens.
The highlight of my visit is the lights & sounds show called Symphony of Parols. It’s a 7-minute show that runs every 30 minutes from 6-8PM during November 17 to December 23, 2o10. I took a video of it but was using a crappy camera so pardon me for such an awful video. It didn’t give the dancing lights show justice. It’s just my way of showing you what’s in it. It was astounding! You should go visit next year if you missed this year’s show. We were all in awe while watching it.
The following picture below shows just how BEAUTIFUL the place can truly be ! I loved it! A truly magical and amazing sight to see. It’s something really that words just fail to do it justice. If you want to experience the wonder of the place, there’s just no other way than to just go there and see for yourself. And after, I am certain that you will also love it as much as I did.
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Ayala Triangle Gardens
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City
Middle of Makati Avenue, Ayala Avenue & Paseo de Roxas
Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 24, 2010
The # 1 brand of frozen yogurt in Southern California finally lands in Ayala Triangle Gardens. This was the last stop of my food trip last weekend. It was definitely icing on the cake . I fully enjoyed the restaurant hop. And ending on this note was really a great treat.
Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt was branded as the ice cream lover’s yogurt. As someone who doesn’t like yogurt, I definitely was changing my mind especially since there are several yogurt flavors available (5o to be exact). They feature 6 different flavors in a day. That time, the ones available were old fashioned vanilla, peanut butter cup, simply tart, belgian choco, pom & blueberry and cake batter. Now, those are some unique and truly delicious flavors!
Aside from offering lots of yogurt flavors, they also have a decent amount of toppings to choose from. Almonds, corn flakes, butterfingers, choco crunch, granola, marshmallows are among them. In fact, I can’t stress enough how important I think the toppings are because it makes it even easier for us to customize just how we would like our frozen yogurt.
They also have cold toppings available: chocolate chip cookie dough, mochi rice cake, mixed berries and blackberries. Wow! You totally have the freedom to choose what you eat.
I think also that having the wide variety of toppings makes it easy for Golden Spoon to cater to a wider customer base. As you can see, sometimes frozen yogurt may be a drawback for people who really just want an all out sinful desert. This way, I think you can range for super healthy and delicious frozen yogurt to some of the most sinfully delicious deserts out there complete with multiple toppings like cookie dough, butterfinger, marshmallows, etc.
Also on display are different sizes of the cups plus their choices of cones, the waffle cone and the regular one.
So, the way we order is this:
- choose your yogurt flavor.
- choose where you want your yogurt to be in: cone or cup? regular cone cost Php 125 while waffe cone cost Php 175. The cups on the other hand have 4 sizes: kiddie (Php 85), small (Php 155), large (Php 220) and quart (Php 499).
- If you want toppings, each variant cost Php 20.
- enjoy your serving of Golden Spoon Yogurt
I think most of us are getting more health conscious nowadays, which is why I am really glad that Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt has put out the nutritional information for their customers. Sometimes, if we’re really counting calories, desert is just out of the questions because of the unknowns when it comes to calories. This way, Golden Spoon has made it easier for all of us to decide. And actually, I think it’s also a good way to draw in customers since the proof is right there in black and white. See just how little the calorie count is for their frozen yogurt!
What did we have?
- my mom had the old fashioned vanilla in a regular cone. We were too full but still game for yogurt!
- this one is old-fashioned vanilla yogurt with mixed berries. I think it really is so delicious, that sometimes you just want it as simple as possible to really get a taste of just how good their frozen yogurt is! And I’ve been really trying to get more healthy, with fruits and frozen yogurt, it’s just a healthier way of treating yourself to desert!
- this one is pom and blueberry with chocolate sprinkles. The combination definitely is my favorite. Try this when you go to Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt.
I definitely find it cute that the servers were ready to strike a pose when cameras started flashing at them! Such a delight that they were willing to be endorsers of the product without any talent fee! LOLz!
Have you tried Golden Spoon? Why not head on over to Ayala Triangle Gardens and order one of their products? This is the most variety that I have seen in the longest while. Imagine having the opportunity to choose from 50 different flavors of frozen yogurt and tons of toppings. You can literally make hundreds of different frozen yogurt combination, which is why I believe with Golden Spoon there truly is something for everyone to enjoy!
I enjoyed my first time visit so much that I just had to document it and have my picture taken! See me posing at the Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt wall.
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Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt
Restaurants at the Ayala Triangle Gardens
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City
Amici at Ayala Triangle Gardens
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 24, 2010
The branch at Ayala Triangle Gardens is the 1st full-service restaurant of Amici. It is the biggest too featuring 2 big brands: Amici & Cara Mia.
As most of you know, Amici is known to be a self-service restaurant. I’m glad that they finally ventured into a full-service restaurant. Especially for someone like me who wants to just sit and enjoy my meal, the change is definitely welcome.
It was such a delight looking at Amici’s menu. I love how they incorporated the history of Amici mentioning the priest from Dos Bosco who started it. Sentimental owners, aren’t they? We loved it! I enjoyed flipping through the pages reading and looking at the photos. But in all honesty, what really got me excited was looking at the actual menu items, because I knew we would be trying those delicious dishes at Amici & the sinfully wonderful deserts at Cara Mia.
While looking at the menu I noticed that Amici actually uses a wooden brick oven. They say that using it will bring out the flavors of the food. That explains why Amici’s pizzas are so good. On the picture below, just jook at the chef checking on the pizza that he was cooking. It’s just so old world Italy almost when you look at the setup that they have. You can even see all the wood at the bottom there. Now that’s authentic style pizza if I ever saw one!
Let me share the menu items that we tried out. The flavors in each dish were distinctly different. This was the 2nd restaurant we visited at Ayala Triangle Gardens. I was actually starting to get full hahaha!
- Spaghetti ai Tesori del Mare (Php 264)
This was basically a seafood pasta dish that has scallops, clams, mussels with chili oil and fresh tomatoes. I didn’t like the scallops but the pasta tasted great! Seafood pasta is usually a great order especially at an Italian or Mediterranean restaurant since their seafood dishes usually are very delicious. I must admit that the pasta was really done to perfection, cooked al dente, and that the chili oil provided that wonderful essence of deep and spicy flavors, and yet it was so very subtle too. It was a simple dish with garlic and tomato and that chili oil and seafood incorporated into it. The problem was that the scallops wasn’t really all that good, and I’ve had some of the best scallops at other restaurants, and this just didn’t make the grade.
- Tutta Carne (Php 298)
I’m a meat lover so out of the 2 pizzas served to us. I immediately tried Tutta Carne. This pizza has Italian sausage, ham and pepperoni with the usual cheese and dough. With the brick oven, I wasn’t surprised really just how tasty the crust turned out to be. I love how everything about this dish felt so authentic. And did I mention that each bite that I took also seemed to have so much flavor, from the seasoning to the sauce, all the way to the dough.
- Quattro Stagioni (Php 298)
Cheese lovers rejoice for your pizza is here! It seemed that everyone wanted to try this out as soon as it was served to us. And I wasn’t surprised because it really did look so delicious with all the four cheeses being incorporated into that pizza like that. I even heard one of the bloggers say that it was better than what Yellow Cab pizza serves. Again, all that flavor not only comes from the seasoning and the sauce, but that wooden brick oven really has to have so much part into creating their pizzas. That wooden brick oven must really be their secret to success! And lastly, I’m really glad that the dough wasn’t too thick which can sometimes be the case with other types of pizza out there. The dough is soggy and sometimes not cooked all the way through. Just because it’s not thin crust pizza doesn’t mean that the dough has to be anything other than just how Amici served their pizza..
- Fetuccine at Tartufo Classico (Php 244)
basically a mushroom pasta with button and shitake mushrooms. This was definitely tastier and yummier than the seafood pasta. I really loved the simplicity of this dish. Because I honestly believe when it comes to pasta, the important parts of cooking it is having the pasta still firm but not too well cooked. Then seasoning the sauce to perfection, and adding ingredients that compliment the pasta very well. With Amici, I think they did a tremendous job in providing that delicious simplicity with this dish.
What I also liked most is that the Fetuccine at Tartufo Classico is one of the chosen products by Amici where each order of this menu item will have Php10 donated to Tuloy Foundation (a charity group for street children). It was definitely nice of Amici to think of this. Not to mention, their dishes are actually cheap and very affordable!
Now, as much as I love Amici’s pizzas and pasta, their desserts are just the winner for me. Last year, they actually formalized it and created a brand for their desserts. It’s now called Cara Mia.
Cara mia serves gelato, gelato cakes, usual refrigerated cakes and pastries. I’m sorry but my eyes were just fixed on their gelato which had been my favorite ever since it was served at Amici. See my happy face beside the gelato selections. I was trying to hide my excitement! hahaha!
I was also pleasantly surprised that they serve gelato cakes! I was like wow, that’s new! It’s basically like an ice-cream cake but Cara Mia’s version is different.
So we asked, what’s the difference between a gelato and an ice cream? And they shared with us that the only actual difference is the type of dairy product they put into each one. Gelato is made from fresh milk while Ice cream is made from cream, it was that simple. I learned something new that day. Well that definitely explained why gelato has smoother texture and taste better. Now we know 😉
- Peach Walnut Passion (Php 95)
This is bascially peach gelato with walnuts! Oh my golly! heavenly! I noticed that it was not really pure gelato cake but it was a combination of the traditional cake but it has more gelato. Awesome creation. Amici really does know that we always come back for their gelato! 😀 I mean, who wouldn’t? Their gelato is truly something that you have to try out for yourself to really get the idea of why it is so popular!
- Mango Symphony (Php 95)
Mango gelato with mango chunks plus graham crackers. If 1 slice isn’t enough for you, you can order the whole cake which is priced at Php 690. I’m also glad that I was able to try this out. Again, it may seem like the ordinary mango refrigerator cake, but what always separates high end restaurants and desert places is how they take it one step further. First they use premium mango gelato, add those chunks of mango, the little crumbs of graham crackers too. And that mango sauce on the side, it’s simple, but it’s that added simplicity that really make Cara Mia stand out. And don’t forget the taste, in all honesty, this was one of the best mango refrigerator cakes that I’ve tasted.
- Pistachio Gelati (Php 70)
Everybody just couldn’t wait to sample the gelati/gelato. I didn’t have enough time to take picture in whole as they took quite a few scoops of it already hahaha! Well, it’s fine. You get the point right? It was that delicious! This green gelato was pistachio. Yummeh!
- Sans Rival Gelati (Php 70)
Sans Rival gelato is definitely new and I was pleasantly surprised as to how delicious it is. It will now be one of my favorite gelato flavors in Cara Mia. You must try this if you haven’t done so. I just can’t believe how great they were at this, imagine taking delicious sans rival and making it into gelato form! Brilliant! I’m now interested as to what other flavors they will be able to come up with next! And yes, they took a few scoops of it too before I was able to take a picture. Must not let people wait for Cara Mia’s gelati!
I really enjoyed my time there at Amici/Cara Mia considering I was with my mom and ninang! They met for the 1st time! My mom was my official photographer hahaha while ninang Noemi is a fellow blogger.
I’m definitely glad that Amici has become a full-service restaurant. I will definitely be back as Ayala Triangle Gardens is just near my work place. Cara Mia Gelato, I will be back for you!
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Amici & Caramia
Restaurants at the Ayala Triangle Gardens
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City